Sunday, October 14, 2012

When we learn the true definition of a word, especially if the word is found in scripture, our understanding increases. For example:

Unbelief doesn’t mean you don’t believe, it means the form of your belief is not correct (i.e. you have the wrong kind of understanding).

Vanity is not a slave to fashion, it means ineffective or lacking power. (i.e. your faith is vain)…

Wicked can be defined as "acting in the name of the Lord, when you really aren't. Wickedness is deviating from correct doctrine. A wicked generation is a religious group of people who are unrepentant. A wicked leader teaches the commandments of men. He has a form of Godliness without the power. Wickedness leads people astray. An act of wickedness is similiar to taking Lord's name in vain. Pretending you are speaking on behalf of the Lord when they aren't not His word's.

We have been warned and forewarned that wickedness will increase. We have been told that the Book of Mormon is a type and shadow for our day. Just reading in 3 Nephi gives us a the pattern for the Second Coming of the Lord.

People become Wicked

Righteous are holding on by their fingernails

Social collapse occurs

Nature responds to wickedness by destroying the wicked. Nature is an engine of destruction. Entire Cities are destroyed.

Only a righteous few remain. Bountiful is still functioning. For 11 Months the people must suffer and be sanctified. This was required to prepare them to see the Lord.

11 Months after the destruction The Lord Jesus Christ appears.

Today, we use the word wicked and evil interchangablely. However, they are two completely different words. Evil is outward, and can be seen with the natural eye. Wicked is inward, and is usually hidden, and disguised. Evil produces fear, sorrow, distress, injury or calamity, Wicked produces a false hope in something that can not save you.

It is the religious who are convinced they know what is "right", are the ones who can be the most wicked. It was the religious, temple-working, Jews who crucified their Savior. Despite being a religious, moral, and chaste virgin, the five who do not know the Lord are called foolish and wicked. Doctrine and Covenants 63: 54 states, “And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked.”. (a separation from the wise and the foolish)

Sidenote:
Disclaimer: I hestitated even posting the following. I am not recommending that you look at or watch the below videos, if you are sensitive things of a dark nature. (and BTW: I didn't number this post because of the below content)

The month of October is a time that many people like to dress up in costume. Some costumes that people choose to wear could be defined as 'evil'. Evil is defined as a malady, or depravity especially when regarded as a supernatural force. Commercial Haunted Houses use evil to create fear. People pay to go through these haunted house, others profit from them.

For the past several weeks the Deseret News has been running a full page ad for one of Utah's most visited tourist location, This is the Place Monument. This is a sacred location where the Saints entered into the Salt Lake Valley. There is a large monument of Brigham Young there.

During the month of October, you can pay to walk through what is usually a sacred historical site turned into a haunted village. I took a picture of the newspaper ad below of this full page ad:

(At least "This is the Place" is closed on Sundays to keep the Sabbath day holy.)

I originally embedded the videos but now just have the link.

Here is the link to the website for the This is the Place Haunted Village. LINK

Furthermore, The Polynesian Culture Center run by the LDS Church is one of the most (if not the most) visited tourist attractions in Hawaii. Also in the month of October, this popular location becomes "haunted".

Here is the website for the Polynesian Culture Center Haunted Lagoon. LINK
Here is a trailer for the Haunted Lagoon LINK

I am not sure why this locations can't just decorate with pumpkins and scarecrows. These are important tourist attractions to promote the church and our sacred historical places.

We are studying the life of President George Albert Smith in Priesthood and Relief Society this year. He strongly cautioned, “If you cross to the devil’s side of the line one inch, you are in the tempter’s power, and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly, because you will have lost the spirit of the Lord.”